Board of Commissioners of Cook County - File #: 21-6170

• File #: 21-6170
• Version: 1
• Name: RECOGNIZING KAREN WALKER
• Type: Consent Calendar Resolution
• Status: Approved
• File created: 10/28/2021
• In control: Board of Commissioners
• On agenda: 11/4/2021
• Final action: 11/4/2021
• Title: PROPOSED RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING KAREN WALKER FOR HER SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF COOK COUNTY ON THE INDEPENDENT REVENUE FORECASTING COMMISSION WHEREAS, Karen Walker has served as a Commissioner on the Independent Revenue Forecasting Commission since it 2018; and WHEREAS, Karen has more than 30 years of professional experience which includes finance, consulting, investment banking and accounting. She began her career as a Certified Public Accountant with her experience including audit, tax, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance; and, WHEREAS, she worked for Ernst & Whinney, Beatrice Company, Mueller Holdings and the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Karen specialized in public finance investment banking, where she helped finance more than $50 billion in capital projects. She worked as a banker with Merrill Lynch, Banc of America Securities and regional investment banks; and, WHEREAS, she served as Director of Financial Services for the Illinois Finance Authorit...
• Sponsors: TONI PRECKWINKLE (President), FRANK J. AGUILAR, ALMA E. ANAYA, LUIS ARROYO JR, SCOTT R. BRITTON, JOHN P. DALEY, DENNIS DEER, BRIDGET DEGNEN, BRIDGET GAINER, BRANDON JOHNSON, BILL LOWRY, DONNA MILLER, STANLEY MOORE, KEVIN B. MORRISON, SEAN M. MORRISON, PETER N. SILVESTRI, DEBORAH SIMS, LARRY SUFFREDIN

Date	Ver.	Action By	Motion	Result
11/4/2021	1	Board of Commissioners	approve	Pass

title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION

RECOGNIZING KAREN WALKER FOR HER SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF COOK COUNTY ON THE INDEPENDENT REVENUE FORECASTING COMMISSION

WHEREAS, Karen Walker has served as a Commissioner on the Independent Revenue Forecasting Commission since it 2018; and

WHEREAS, Karen has more than 30 years of professional experience which includes finance, consulting, investment banking and accounting. She began her career as a Certified Public Accountant with her experience including audit, tax, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance; and,

WHEREAS, she worked for Ernst & Whinney, Beatrice Company, Mueller Holdings and the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Karen specialized in public finance investment banking, where she helped finance more than $50 billion in capital projects. She worked as a banker with Merrill Lynch, Banc of America Securities and regional investment banks; and,

WHEREAS, she served as Director of Financial Services for the Illinois Finance Authority and Chief Financial Officer for the Chicago Transit Authority ("CTA"), in recognition of her work with the CTA, Karen received an award for Outstanding Public Service from the National Forum for Black Public Administrators; and,

WHEREAS, most recently, she worked as Vice President for Finance & Operations for the Catholic Theological Union and currently serves as Vice President for Finance & Administration for the Chicago Theological Seminary.

WHEREAS, in 2020, Karen created Fertile Soil Financial L.L.C., a business and financial consulting firm and serves on the Chicago Metropolitan Housing Development Corporation Board of Directors, the Seaway Bank Auxiliary Board and the Cook County Independent Revenue Commission, and is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow and former board member; and,

WHEREAS, Karen earned an MBA in Finance from the Anderson School at the University of California Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from the University of Illin...